US venture capital investment hardly moved last year but was already trending upwards as investments in the fourth quarter increased, The Wall Street Journal blog Venture Capital Dispatch reported.
Finance/Venture
MMC Ventures reopens MMC Growth Generation Fund for investors aged 18 to 35
MMC Ventures has again opened the MMC Growth Generation Fund specifically tailored for young investors aged 18 to 35 years old, allowing them to invest in UK's hard to access but high-growth firms.
Fashion e-commerce site Lyst nabs $14M in Series B round led by Balderton Capital
Fashion e-commerce company Lyst was able to secure $14 million for its Series B funding round led by Balderton Capital and joined in by DFJ Esprit, Accel Partners and angel investors.
Pan-European accelerator Startupbootcamp expands to Istanbul, Turkey
Startupbootcamp, the pan-European accelerator, has launched in Istanbul, as investors continue to show interest in Turkey. The accelerator has already began accepting applications for its program.
US marijuana dispensaries turn to venture capitalists for seed funding
Medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries in Las Vegas, US are increasingly turning to venture capitalists for seed money due to lack of loan sources, as the drug is deemed illegal by the federal government.
Latest News
Startup Zepp Labs Inc secures $15M in Series B funding to help sports enthusiasts step up their game
Zepp Labs Inc, a startup based in Los Gatos, California, closed its Series B round with $15 million to develop wearable technology to enable sports enthusiasts to step up their game.
Cambridge, England-based company Kensho closed a $10-million seed funding round for a cloud-based intelligent market research assistant called Warren that can answer complex financial queries in natural language.
Using Bitcoin as a form of reward to programmers working in open-source software projects is rapidly gaining popularity, a report in The Wall Street Journal Blog Venture Capital Dispatch said.
Brooklyn-based firm Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, a new seed investment fund founded by former First Round Capital principal Charlie O'Donnell, secured $8.3 million in funding from several investors.
Chartio, a provider of cloud business intelligence for developers and businesses, has received $2.2 million in additional financing from Avalon Ventures which led the Series A round for the company in 2011.
San Francisco, US-based insurance broker Zenefits raised $15 million in funding to improve the development, sales, and marketing of its product that makes administrative tasks easier.
Former NBA star, philanthropist and venture capitalist David Robinson told Forbes Contributor Dan Schawbel that he formed Admiral Capital Group to be able to impact the community.
Peter Thiel, the early investor of Facebook, aims to raise $750 million for its fifth fund, according to a presentation from his venture firm Founders Fund obtained by Bloomberg News.
Pimco's Chief Executive and Co-Chief Investment Officer and long viewed as heir to Co-Founder Bill Gross, Mohamed El-Erian will be leaving the world's largest bond fund manager in mid-March, Reuters reported.
